Dust reduction system using conductive fibers

Abstract

To provide a dust reduction system for space suits and the like, and more specifically, to provide a dust reduction system using conductive fibers. [Solution] A dust mitigation system ("DMS") is disclosed that includes a textile material having a front surface and a back surface, a plurality of conductive fibers within the textile material, and a plurality of input nodes generally adjacent to either the back surface or the front surface of the textile material. The plurality of conductive fibers are generally parallel to a first direction along the textile material and generally adjacent to the front surface of the textile material, and the plurality of input nodes are in signal communication with the plurality of conductive fibers and configured to receive alternating current ("AC") voltage signals from an input signal source. In response to the plurality of input nodes receiving the AC voltage signals from the input signal source, the plurality of conductive fibers are configured to generate an electric field at the front surface of the textile material and (from the electric field) generate traveling waves that travel along the front surface of the textile material in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This patent application claims priority to the prior U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 312931, “Dust Mitigation System Utilizing Carbon Nanotube Fibers,” filed on 24 March 2016, under Section 119(e) of the U.S. Patent Act, which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.

[0002] This disclosure relates to dust reduction, and more specifically to a dust reduction system using conductive fibers. [Background technology]

[0003] Lunar exploration activities, conducted by both humans and unmanned spacecraft, take place on the planet's surface, which consists of unconsolidated clastic rock material known as lunar topsoil. The lunar surface is covered by several thick layers of topsoil formed by the impact of high-speed meteoroid dust and is characterized by constant impacts of charged atomic particles from the sun and stars. Lunar topsoil contains rock fragments and smaller particles, mainly commonly referred to as lunar soil. From the very first contact with lunar soil, NASA Apollo astronauts reported that it contained a great deal of fine particles called “lunar dust” (or simply “dust”). This dust, which has a strong tendency to clump, adhere, or otherwise contaminate the surfaces of equipment used in extravehicular activity ("EVA") operations, caused several anomalies in the Apollo missions. Today, lunar dust is formally defined as “lunar soil” particles with a diameter of less than 20 μm, but for the purposes of this disclosure, the terms “lunar dust,” “lunar soil,” or “dust” may be used interchangeably.

[0004] In addition, the Apollo missions revealed that lunar dust rapidly degrades spacesuits, impacting mission operations. For example, Apollo technical reports and post-mission reports contain numerous references to the effects of lunar dust on systems and crew activity areas during operations on the lunar surface by the Apollo crew. Among the EVA systems, the Apollo spacesuits, which were damaged during operations on the lunar surface, were frequently mentioned by the crew as having a particularly strong potential impact from lunar dust. These effects included: 1) dust adhering to and damaging the spacesuit fabric and systems; 2) mechanical problems related to lunar dust, including issues with the fit and wear of the garment layers causing pressure attenuation of the garment; 3) visual impairment; 4) misreading of instrument values ​​due to dust clogging sensor inlets; 5) coating and contamination by dust causing thermal control problems; 6) loss of traction; 7) clogging of bonding mechanisms; 8) wear; 9) poor sealing; and 10) inhalation and inflammation.

[0005] As an example, Figure 1 shows an image of NASA astronaut 100 during the Apollo 17 mission wearing a spacesuit 104 coated with lunar dust 102 after an EVA operation. Similarly, Figure 2 shows an image of spacesuit 200 with a hole (or tear) 202 in the knee area caused by abrasion due to lunar dust. Thus, systems and methods are needed to mitigate (i.e., remove or minimize) dust before sending humans back to the lunar surface or any other similar planetary surface. Furthermore, dust mitigation is also needed on Earth for systems exposed to dust, such as flexible solar panels and other flexible systems that can become clogged with dust.

[0006] Currently, experimental solutions employing both active and passive methods have been proposed, primarily limited to applications on rigid surfaces such as solar panels, optical axes, glass structures, and thermal radiators. Unfortunately, applying this technology to dust removal from spacesuits remains challenging due to the irregular shape of spacesuits, the flexible structure of soft areas, and the complexity of spacesuit design, including spacesuit materials coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (e.g., TEFLON® manufactured by Chemours, Wilmington, Delaware). Therefore, there is a need for dust reduction systems and methods compatible with existing fabric materials for use in spacesuits (e.g., ortho fabrics or newly developed flexible materials), or other devices / systems using fabric materials such as space habitats, inflatable structures, flexible and / or deployable antennas, and flexible solar panels.

[0007] A dust reduction system ("DMS") is disclosed. The DMS includes a fabric material having a front and a back surface, a plurality of conductive fibers within the fabric material, and a plurality of input nodes substantially adjacent to the fabric material. The plurality of conductive fibers are substantially parallel to a first direction along the fabric material and substantially adjacent to the front surface of the fabric material, and the plurality of input nodes are configured to signal communicate with the plurality of conductive fibers and to receive alternating current ("AC") voltage signals from an input signal source. The plurality of conductive fibers are configured to generate an electric field on the front surface of the fabric material in response to the plurality of input nodes receiving the AC voltage signals from the input signal source, and to generate a traveling wave that propagates (from the electric field) along the front surface of the fabric material in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

[0008] In one example of the process, the DMS performs a method that includes receiving alternating current ("AC") voltage signals from input signal sources at multiple input nodes, generating an electric field on the front surface of the fabric material with multiple conductive fibers, and generating a traveling wave from the electric field that propagates along the front surface of the fabric material in a second direction that is approximately perpendicular to a first direction.

[0009] Other devices, apparatus, systems, methods, features, and advantages of this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art by examining the drawings and detailed description below. All such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages are included in this description, are within the scope of this disclosure, and are intended to be protected by the appended claims.

[0010] This disclosure can be better understood by referring to the drawings below. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to exact scale, and the focus is rather on illustrating the principles of the present invention. In the drawings, the same reference numbers refer to the corresponding parts in different drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is an image of a NASA astronaut whose spacesuit was contaminated with lunar dust after an EVA operation. [Figure 2] This is an image of a spacesuit with a hole in the knee area caused by wear and tear from lunar dust. [Figure 3A] This is a side view of a system block diagram of one embodiment of the implementation of the dust reduction system ("DSM") according to this disclosure. [Figure 3B] This is a top view of the system block diagram of the DMS implementation configuration (shown in Figure 3A) according to this disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a top view of one implementation embodiment of a fabric material having multiple conductive fibers according to the present invention (shown in Figures 3A and 3B). [Figure 5A] This is an enlarged front view of one embodiment of the woven fabric implementation method shown in Figure 4, of the ortho fabric material having multiple conductive fibers according to the present invention. [Figure 5B] Figure 5A is a low-magnification front view of the fabric of the ortho fabric material having multiple conductive fibers according to the present invention. [Figure 5C] Figures 5A and 5B show the reverse side of the fabric according to this disclosure. [Figure 6] This is an inclined side view of one embodiment of a partial mounting configuration of two conductive fibers according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7A] This is an enlarged front view showing an embodiment of one implementation method for insulating multiple conductive fibers on the front surface of a fabric material according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7B] This is an enlarged front view showing an example of one mounting configuration of the insulating layer on the front surface of the fabric material (shown in Figure 7A) according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7C] This is an enlarged front view showing an example of one implementation method of the top layer coating on the front surface of the fabric material (shown in Figures 7A and 7B) according to the present disclosure. [Figure 8] This is an enlarged front view of an embodiment of another implementation of an ortho fabric material having a first plurality of carbon nanotube ("CNT") fibers and a second plurality of CNT fibers according to the present disclosure. [Figure 9] This is an enlarged front view of an embodiment of yet another implementation of the ortho fabric material having a first plurality of CNT fibers and a second plurality of CNT fibers according to the present disclosure. [Figure 10] This is a front view of an embodiment of yet another implementation of the ortho fabric material having a first plurality of CNT fibers and a second plurality of CNT fibers according to the present disclosure. [Figure 11] This is a front view of one embodiment of an implementation of an ortho fabric material having multiple CNT fibers that is activated by multiple electrical waveforms according to the present disclosure. [Figure 12] This is a front view of one embodiment of an implementation of an ortho fabric material having multiple CNT fibers that is activated by multiple different types of electrical waveforms according to the present disclosure. [Figure 13] This is a front view of one embodiment of a mounting configuration of a non-ortho fabric material having multiple CNT fibers according to the present disclosure. [Figure 14] This is a front view of one embodiment of a mounting configuration of a non-ortho fabric material having multiple CNT fibers according to the present disclosure. [Figure 15] This is a front view of one embodiment of an ortho fabric material having multiple CNT fibers and multiple sensors according to the present disclosure. [Figure 16]A top view showing a system block diagram of an embodiment of an implementation manner of a micro vibration sensor and an actuator incorporated in a fabric material or CNT fiber, combining a mechanical action and an electric field to enhance the dust repelling action of DMS. [Figure 17] A front view of the system block diagram shown in FIG. 16 of a micro vibration sensor incorporated in a fabric material or CNT fiber according to the present disclosure. [Figure 18] A side view showing a system block diagram of an embodiment of an implementation manner of a DSM having a DMS controller, a micro vibration sensor, and an actuator shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 according to the present disclosure. [Figure 19A] A front view of an embodiment of a first implementation manner of a printed flexible conductor and a conductive fiber pattern used with a DMS according to the present disclosure. [Figure 19B] A front view of an embodiment of a second implementation manner of a printed flexible conductor and a conductive fiber pattern used with a DMS according to the present disclosure. [Figure 19C] A front view of an embodiment of a third implementation manner of a printed flexible conductor and a conductive fiber pattern used with a DMS according to the present disclosure. [Figure 20] A top view of an embodiment of an implementation manner of a DMS using an ortho fabric material for a spacesuit and a plurality of CNT fibers for a plurality of conductive fibers according to the present disclosure. [Figure 21] A top view of an embodiment of another implementation manner of a DMS using an ortho fabric material for a spacesuit and a plurality of CNT fibers for a plurality of conductive fibers according to the present disclosure. [Figure 22] A flowchart showing an embodiment of an implementation manner of a method for reducing dust implemented by a DMS in a process according to the present disclosure.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] A dust reduction system ("DMS") is disclosed. The DMS includes a fabric material having a front and a back surface, a plurality of conductive fibers within the fabric material, and a plurality of input nodes substantially adjacent to the fabric material. The plurality of conductive fibers are substantially parallel to a first direction along the fabric material and substantially adjacent to the front surface of the fabric material, and the plurality of input nodes are configured to signal communicate with the plurality of conductive fibers and receive alternating current ("AC") voltage signals from an input signal source. The plurality of conductive fibers are configured to generate an electric field on the front surface of the fabric material in response to the plurality of input nodes receiving the AC voltage signals from the input signal source, and to generate a traveling wave (of the electric field) that propagates in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction along the front surface of the fabric material. More specifically, the phase of the AC voltage signals of the plurality of conductive fibers can be adjusted to generate a traveling wave of the electric field that propagates in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction along the front surface of the fabric material. By adjusting the phase of the AC voltage signal, or a slight shift in the angle of roughly parallel conductive fibers, the approximately right angle in the second direction (i.e., the direction of the traveling wave) can be adjusted from a right angle (i.e., 90 degrees) to a non-right angle that is still approximately right (i.e., about 90 degrees, for example, about 80 degrees to about 120 degrees).

[0013] In one embodiment of the process, the DMS implements a method that includes receiving AC voltage signals from input signal sources at multiple input nodes, generating an electric field on the front surface of a fabric material with multiple conductive fibers, and generating a traveling wave from the electric field that propagates in a second direction at a predetermined angle with respect to a first direction along the front surface of the fabric material.

[0014] DMS implements electrodynamic dust shields ("EDS") having active electrodes within spacesuits or other devices or systems (e.g., flexible space habitats, deployable structures, etc.) using fabric materials or other flexible materials by using conductive fibers as electrodes. In this embodiment, the active electrodes are conductive fibers, which may be flexible conductive fibers such as carbon nanotube ("CNT") fibers. Generally, EDS technology uses electrostatic and / or electrodynamic and / or dielectrophoretic forces to repel dust particles approaching the surface and / or carry away dust particles deposited on the surface of the material. Repelling dust particles is achieved by generating an electric field that levitates approaching dust particles away from the surface. Deposited dust particles are carried away by breaking the adhesion between the dust and the surface due to electrostatic or van der Waals forces, causing the dust to levitate away from the surface of the material. The magnitude of the forces that repel, levitate, and carry away dust particles varies depending on the dielectric properties of the dust particles, the substrate (flexible structure in this case), the size of the dust particles, and the characteristics of the applied input AC voltage signal. As one example using DMS, by applying an AC voltage signal in the range of approximately 800 volts ("V") to 1200 V to non-insulated CNT fibers with a thickness of approximately 180 μm to 200 μm, spaced at intervals of approximately 1.2 mm to 2.0 mm, the normal dynamic power required to repel dust particles having a size of approximately 10 microns ("μm") to 75 μm can be generated.

[0015] In this embodiment, the DMS comprises a fabric material having a top surface, the top surface (also referred to herein as a "shield" having a "shield area" associated with a portion of the top surface), a portion of which comprises a series (i.e., multiple) of roughly parallel or slightly offset (e.g., offset of about 15-20 degrees) conductive fibers, through which a high-voltage AC voltage signal (e.g., about 800V-1200V at a frequency of about 5-100 Hz) is applied, resulting in the generation of a traveling wave of the electric field along the shield.

[0016] Each conductive fiber in a plurality of conductive fibers may be positioned approximately parallel to or slightly offset from adjacent conductive fibers. In addition, the surface of the fabric material may be divided into different parts, and each part of the fabric material may be configured to have a different conductive fiber pattern that is not parallel to the other parts of the shield. For example, the shield may include a portion that is at an angle of up to approximately 90 degrees from the other parts of the shield. The position and spacing of the plurality of conductive fibers vary depending on the application to allow for the reconstruction of the traveling wave of the electric field along the shield. In this embodiment, the resulting traveling wave of the electric field repels dust particles from the shield, and depending on the dielectric properties and charge (and dielectric charge) of the dust particles, the repelled dust particles travel in the direction along the direction of the traveling wave or in the direction opposite to the direction of the traveling wave. This method prevents further accumulation of dust particles on the shield and removes most charged dust particles from the shield. In general, the conductive fibers can be excited using either a single-phase or multi-phase AC voltage signal.

[0017] In general, a DMS can be configured to operate in multiple ways, including, for example, the initial configuration of the DMS during its manufacture and / or reconfiguration after the DMS has been activated while in operation. Specifically, as an example, if the DMS is manufactured on a device (e.g., a spacesuit, space habitat, inflatable structure, fabric-based antenna, blanket, flexible material device, or other similar system, device, or component), the orientation of the conductive fibers may be designed and configured to allow for various shapes, flexibility, or both of the fabric material on which the DMS is mounted, in order to optimize the dust repulsion properties of the DMS. In addition, the type of fabric material may be selected to have electrical and mechanical properties that optimize the operation of the DMS. In one embodiment, the configuration of both the arrangement and geometric arrangement of conductive fibers within the fabric material, and the optimization of the surface properties of the fabric material or flexible material, are directly related to the physical robustness and dust repulsion (i.e., dust reduction) function of the DMS.

[0018] In addition, as an example of operational reconfiguration, the DMS may include feedback control electronics (described later with respect to Figures 16-18), electromechanical devices, or both, located in (or associated with) the fabric material or flexible material, which receive input from sensors associated with or within the shielding area of ​​either the fabric material or flexible material. Embodiments of sensors may include optical or capacitive sensors that may be located in or within the shielding area of ​​the fabric material or flexible material, or at a location far from the shielding area but associated with the shielding area of ​​the fabric material or flexible material. Thus, these sensors may be local sensors within the shielding area, incorporated within the fabric material or flexible material, within the conductive fibers themselves, or both. In addition, sensors may be remote sensors located far from the shielding area, such as sensors located in a spacesuit or in a different area of ​​other devices or systems associated with the DMS in the shielding area. In another embodiment, some of these sensors may be located far away from the shield area, such as sensors on a weather satellite (or satellite) that provide dust data to the DMS in order to adjust the operation of the DMS and further optimize dust reduction on the shield.

[0019] In all of these sensor embodiments, the sensor provides a sensor output signal (an information signal containing sensor data information created by the individual sensor) to the DMS controller of the DMS. The DMS controller is configured to change the waveform and frequency of the AC voltage signal supplied to the conductive fibers based on the received sensor output signal in order to optimize the dust reduction characteristics of the DMS. The DMS controller may be in signal communication with an input signal source and can adjust or adjust the voltage, frequency, and phase of the individual AC voltage signals generated by the input signal source in response to the received sensor output signal. In this embodiment, the DMS controller may be any general electronic controller, which may include a microcontroller, a central processing unit ("CPU")-based processor, a digital signal processor ("DSP"), an application-specific integrated circuit ("ASIC"), a field-programmable gate array ("FPGA"), or other similar device or system.

[0020] In addition to sensors, the DMS may also include a number of actuators that may be positioned on the underside of the fabric or flexible material beneath the shielding area. These actuators may be electromechanical devices capable of moving, oscillating, vibrating, or other types of mechanical action to remove, move, and flick away dust particles on the shield. The actuators communicate with the DMS controller and are also configured to control the operation of the actuators based on the output signals of the received sensors to optimize the dust reduction characteristics of the DMS in the shield. Using the sensors, actuators, or both, the DMS controller is configured to adjust the AC voltage signal from an input signal source in order to optimize the dust reduction of the DMS based on the characteristics of the fabric or flexible material (e.g., layers, coatings, dielectric properties, etc.) and the dust (e.g., size, mass, dielectric properties, distribution, etc.). Thus, the DMS controller is configured to change the AC voltage signal to adjust the operating mode of the DMS.

[0021] As an example of a first operating mode (i.e., dynamic dust transfer mode), the DMS may use a first optimized AC voltage signal having a first waveform and a first frequency value to flick away dust before it settles on the fabric material shield. Alternatively, as an example of a second operating mode in which static dust has settled on the fabric material shield (dust has already accumulated on the shield before the DMS is activated), the DMS may use a second optimized AC voltage signal having a second waveform and a second frequency value to flick away dust before it settles on the fabric material shield.

[0022] For example, if the DMS is activated before dust settles on the shield, more than 90% of the dust may be flicked away using a low-voltage AC signal (e.g., approximately 800V-900V). On the other hand, if dust has already settled on the shield before the DMS is activated, the DMS may need to use a high-voltage AC signal (e.g., approximately 1000V-1200V) to flick the dust off the shield. In addition, once dust has settled on the shield, the DMS may need to use an AC signal with a high spectral bandwidth, which may be up to approximately 200Hz, to remove the settled dust from the shield. In these embodiments, the DMS controller may use a lookup database on a storage device (i.e., a memory device or module) to determine the type of AC signal (i.e., signal waveform, frequency, voltage, phase, etc.) to use or adjust in the DMS based on input data from a sensor that can provide the dust contamination status on the shield, and to remove, flick, or both the dust that is settling or has settled on the shield. The lookup database may contain values ​​based on sensors or other sources that are signaling to the DMS. The memory device may be part of the DMS, or it may be far away from the DMS but not signaling to the DMS. For example, the location of drive and control electronics (e.g., input signal sources) that generate AC voltage signals transmitted to conductive fibers in a fabric material may be locally integrated into the fabric material, centrally located and / or far away from the DMS, or located in the same place as the DMS and other devices, the DMS being implemented, for example, on the systems and electronics of a spacesuit.

[0023] Figure 3A shows a side view of a system block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the implementation of the DMS300 according to this disclosure. The DMS300 includes a fabric material 302 having a front surface 304 and a back surface 306, a plurality of conductive fibers 308 within the fabric material 302, and a plurality of input nodes 310 on the back surface 306 of the fabric material 302 that communicate with the plurality of conductive fibers 308 via a first plurality of signal paths 312 within the fabric material 302.

[0024] Multiple conductive fibers 308 are configured as a series (i.e., multiple) of roughly parallel conductive fibers 308 in a first direction along the fabric material 302, which is roughly adjacent to the front surface 304 (i.e., either on the front surface or near the front surface), and multiple input nodes 310 are configured as a series of input nodes roughly adjacent to the back surface 306 of the fabric material 302, and each input node from the multiple input nodes communicates with the corresponding conductive fiber from the multiple conductive fibers 308 via the corresponding signal path of the first multiple signal paths 312. Multiple conductive fibers 308 are located within a shield area 311, which is part of the front surface 304 (also referred to as the uppermost surface of the fabric material 302) that defines the shield 313 of the DMS 300.

[0025] In this embodiment, the illustrated conductive fibers 308 are generally parallel and oriented in a first direction 314 along the shield 313 of the fabric material 302, either toward the page or extending outwards from the page (within the shield area 311) as shown in the side view of Figure 3A. For illustrative purposes, the first direction 314 is shown as toward the page, but those skilled in the art will see that the first direction 314 may alternatively be the opposite direction, extending outwards from the page, without limiting the scope of this disclosure. If the conductive fibers 308 are not parallel, they may be slightly offset, for example, by about 15 to 20 degrees from parallel.

[0026] In this embodiment, the plurality of conductive fibers 308 are woven into or incorporated into the front surface 304 of the fabric material 302 (which may be, for example, a woven (or braided) fabric material, a flexible material, or both) in the shield 313. In addition, each conductive fiber of the plurality of conductive fibers 308 may be a carbon nanotube ("CNT") fiber. Furthermore, each input node of the plurality of input nodes 310 may be an electrode. Furthermore, each conductive fiber of the plurality of conductive fibers 308 may also be an electrode.

[0027] In this embodiment, a plurality of conductive fibers 308 are configured to receive an AC voltage signal 316 from an input signal source 318 (via a second plurality of signal paths 320, a plurality of input nodes 310, and a first plurality of signal paths 312), and the input signal source 318 communicates with the plurality of input nodes 310 via the second plurality of signal paths 320. In one example of the process, when the plurality of conductive fibers 308 receive the AC voltage signal 316, each conductive fiber of the plurality of conductive fibers 308 is electrically excited and acts as an electric radiating element along (or approximately adjacent to) the front surface 304 of the fabric material 302, resulting in an electric field 322 along the front surface 304 of the fabric material 302. The electric field 322 generates a traveling wave in a second direction 324 that is perpendicular to the first direction 314 along the front surface 304 of the fabric material 302. Naturally, the second direction 324 may be arbitrarily selected to be from left to right or from right to left, based on the properties of the electric field 322 or a predetermined angle with respect to the transverse direction.

[0028] In this embodiment, the input signal source 318 may be a three-phase power supply signal source capable of generating an AC voltage signal 316 as a three-phase AC voltage signal 316 having a plurality of AC phase signals including a first phase signal 326, a second phase signal 328, and a third phase signal 330. Those skilled in the art will be able to use other multi-phase input signal sources instead of the input signal source 318, which is a three-phase input signal source 318 that generates a three-phase AC voltage signal 316, for example, a two-phase signal source or a four-phase signal source that generates a two-phase AC voltage signal or a four-phase AC voltage signal, respectively. When the three-phase AC voltage signals 326, 328, and 330 are applied to the DMS 300, all dust particles 332 on the front surface 304 of the fabric material 302 are repelled and move from the front surface 304 of the fabric material 302 in a repulsive direction 334 parallel to the first direction 314. Refer to Figure 3B, which is a top view showing a system block diagram of an implementation embodiment of the DMS 300 according to this disclosure (shown in Figure 3A).

[0029] Although multiple input nodes 310 are shown generally adjacent to the reverse side 306, this is for illustrative purposes only, and the multiple input nodes 310 can be positioned at various locations adjacent to the fabric material 302. In one embodiment, the multiple input nodes 310 may be positioned on the back surface, in the fabric material 302 adjacent to the back surface 306 of the front surface 304 but immediately below it, in the fabric material 302 adjacent to the front surface 304 but immediately below it, on the side of the fabric material (not shown), in the fabric material accessible via either the front surface 304 or the back surface 306, or anywhere adjacent to the fabric material where there is no unacceptable interference with the electric field 322 generated when the AC voltage signal 316 is supplied to the multiple conductive fibers 308. This is because the AC voltage signal 316 induces an electromagnetic field from the multiple input nodes 310 and the first multiple signal paths 312, and if this electromagnetic field is too close to the multiple conductive fibers 308, it may interact with and / or interfere with the induced currents and / or the resulting electric field 322 generated on the multiple conductive fibers 308 by the AC voltage signal 316.

[0030] While it has been stated that the circuits, components, modules, and / or devices of the DMS300, or associated with the DMS300, signal communication refers to any kind of communication and / or connection between circuits, components, modules, and / or devices, which enables a circuit, component, module, and / or device to send and receive signals and / or information with another circuit, component, module, and / or device. Communication and / or connection may be along any signal path between circuits, components, modules, and / or devices that enables the transmission of signals and / or information from one circuit, component, module, and / or device to another, and this includes wireless or wired signal paths. Signal paths may be physical, such as conductors, electromagnetic waveguides, cables, attached and / or electromagnetically or mechanically coupled terminals, semiconductor or dielectric materials or devices, or other similar physical connections or couplings. In addition, the signal path may be a non-physical entity such as free space (in the case of electromagnetic propagation) or an information path, passing through a digital component, in various digital formats that do not involve direct electromagnetic connections, through which communication information is sent from one circuit, component, module, and / or device to another circuit, component, module, and / or device.

[0031] In this embodiment, the multiple conductive fibers 308 are multiple CNT fibers used as electrodes within the fabric material 302 because they are better conductors than conventional metal electrodes, and are mechanically strong and flexible (i.e., have high fatigue recovery). Those skilled in the art will recognize that CNT fibers are high-performance, technologically advanced materials applicable to nanotechnology, electronics, materials science, optics, and the like. Generally, CNT fibers are multifunctional materials that combine the best properties of polymers, carbon fibers, and metals, and this is because CNT fibers have excellent mechanical strength and rigidity, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and low density (approximately 8.96 g / cm³ of copper) present at the molecular level. 3 In comparison, CNT fibers weigh approximately 1 g / cm³. 3 This is because it has the characteristic of being. Specifically, CNT fibers have a diameter of approximately 1 nanometer ("nm" = 10-9 ), the ratio of length to diameter is up to approximately 132,000,000:1, and it has high thermal conductivity (approximately 100 m Wm 2 / kgK~1000m Wm 2 (range of / kgK), (approximately 1kS m normalized by density) 2 / kg~6kS m 2 It is a cylindrical nanostructured carbon allotrope with normalized electrical conductivity (in the range of / kg) and high mechanical strength and rigidity (with a tensile strength in the approximate range of 1GPa to 1.3GPa).

[0032] Currently, lightweight CNT fibers can be manufactured in meter-long lengths to possess properties close to the specific strength of polymers and carbon fibers, the high specific electrical conductivity of metals, and the specific thermal conductivity of graphite fibers, as recently demonstrated by academic sources. These CNT fibers are high-strength fibers with relatively low conductivity (e.g., about 1.1 MS / m for CNT fibers) compared to highly conductive metals with relatively low strength (e.g., about 49 MS / m for commercially available copper magnet wire), such as copper. However, the electrical conductivity of these CNT fibers may be lower than that of copper and other known highly conductive materials, and the advantage of CNT fibers is that, when normalized by mass, their low density results in a significantly higher current capacity ("CCC") than that of metal conductors.

[0033] As a result of these properties, in this embodiment, CNT fibers have been used as multiple conductive fibers 308 of DMS300 instead of conductive fibers 308 in order to overcome the challenge of integrating DMS300 with metal wires or strips as electrodes. Specifically, the mechanical properties of CNT fibers are higher than those of high-conductivity metal materials, and the mass of CNT fibers is lower than that of metal electrodes. Therefore, even if it is necessary to increase the thickness of the CNT fibers to match the low resistance of the metal electrodes, the overall mass contribution of the CNT fibers is smaller than that of the metal electrodes. Naturally, CNT fibers are used in this embodiment, but other fibers such as Litewire can also be used in other applications as long as they have high strength, high fatigue recovery, high conductivity comparable to that of metal materials, and a lower mass than that of metal electrodes.

[0034] Thus, because the fabric material 302 is flexible, and in the case of spacesuit fabric, flexibility makes it complex to manufacture, it is preferable to use CNT fibers for the multiple conductive fibers 308 within the fabric material 302. Specifically, metal materials have the problem of fatigue failure, and high-cycle fatigue often occurs, leading to malfunctions of the metal material due to cyclic loading under repeated loads, making it difficult to use metal materials (such as copper or indium tin oxide) in the fabric material 302 of a spacesuit. Unfortunately, spacesuits, for example, especially in the leg or arm sections of the spacesuit, experience repetitive movements such as bending, flexing, folding, or twisting the spacesuit material (e.g., fabric material and other flexible materials as described above). For this reason, the spacesuit material needs to be highly flexible and virtually fatigue-resistant. In addition, because spacesuits have irregular shapes and uneven surfaces, manufacturing spacesuits with these metal materials is also a challenge. As a result, it is impossible to attach metal wires to the surface of the spacesuit fabric material using well-known techniques such as sputtering or inkjet printing in the manufacturing materials of spacesuits. In addition, spacesuit fabrics that are exposed to dust (e.g., beta cloth, ortho fabric or both, or other examples of suitable fabric or flexible materials used in, for example, BIOSUIT®, or flexible materials used in space habitats, inflatable structures, flexible deployable antennas, and combinations thereof) are generally coated with non-conductive polytetrafluoroethylene ("PTFE": a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene, also commonly known as "TEFLON®") to directly bond all electrodes to the surface of the spacesuit material. However, it should be noted that electrodes can be bonded to other suitable fabric materials without departing from the concepts of this disclosure.

[0035] It should be understood that Beta Cloth is a type of fire-resistant silica fiber cloth used in the manufacture of spacesuits, such as the Apollo / Skylab A7L spacesuit and the Apollo thermal meteor dust suit. Generally, Beta Cloth is a fabric material coated with PTFE, similar to fiberglass, and contains finely woven silica fibers that are non-flammable and melt only at temperatures above 650°C. Ortho fabrics are used for the outer layer of spacesuits and include complex woven mixtures of GORE-TEX® (i.e., synthetic waterproof fabric material containing a membrane that allows air and water droplets to pass through), KEVLAR® (i.e., poly-p-phenylene terephthalamide, a high-tensile-strength para-aramid synthetic fiber), and NOMEX® (a flame-retardant meta-aramid synthetic fiber).

[0036] Refer to Figure 4, a top view showing an implementation configuration of a fabric 400 of a fabric material 302 having a plurality of conductive fibers 308 (shown in Figures 3A and 3B) according to this disclosure. Similar to the embodiments shown in Figures 3A and 3B, seven conductive fibers 308 are shown within the shield area 311 of the fabric material 302, but those skilled in the art will see that any plurality of conductive fibers 308 can be used based on the desired repulsion characteristics of the shield 313.

[0037] In this embodiment, the conductive fibers 308 are CNT fibers woven to form a fabric material 302. Furthermore, this embodiment shows a fabric 400 of fabric material 302 having multiple warp threads 402 (i.e., horizontal threads of multiple fabric materials 302), multiple weft threads 404 (i.e., vertical threads of multiple fabric materials 302) forming a front surface 304 of fabric material 302, and multiple insulating threads 406 adjacent to and between the multiple conductive fibers 308. In this embodiment, the warp threads 402 of multiple fabric materials 302, the multiple insulating threads 406, and the multiple conductive fibers 308 run along a first direction 314 of the fabric 400, and the weft threads 404 of multiple fabric materials 302 run along a second direction 324 of the fabric 400. In this embodiment, the fabric material 302 may be an ortho fabric material, and the warp threads 402 and weft threads 404 of the plurality of fabric materials 302 may be ortho fabric material threads (i.e., twisted or fabric fibers) which are generally two-layer (i.e., two threads of material twisted together to form "two-layer" threads) or multi-layer (i.e., more than two layers) fabric fibers used to produce the fabric 400 of the fabric material 302. Those skilled in the art will see that the fabric material 302 is generally at least two-layer to increase the strength of the fabric material 302. In addition, the plurality of insulating threads 406 may also be the same ortho fabric material as the warp threads 402 and weft threads 404 of the plurality of fabric materials 302, insofar as the ortho fabric material can electrically insulate each conductive fiber of the plurality of conductive fibers 308 from one another. Furthermore, each conductive fiber of the plurality of conductive fibers 308 may be a two-layer or multi-layer conductive fiber. Therefore, in this embodiment, the fabric material 302 is shown as a partial fabric 408 of the fabric material 302. The partial fabric 408 includes a plurality of conductive fibers 308 (as a plurality of longitudinal conductive fibers) along the weft 404 of the plurality of fabric materials 302 and between the warp 402 of the plurality of fabric materials 302, and the partial fabric 408 includes a plurality of insulating threads 406 spaced apart between the plurality of conductive fibers 308.

[0038] In this embodiment, a plurality of conductive fibers 308 and a plurality of insulating threads 406 extending uniformly in one direction (i.e., the first direction 314) are shown. However, it should be noted that the plurality of conductive fibers 308 and the plurality of insulating threads 406 can be mixed in both the warp and weft in any desired order or pattern based on the design of the DMS 300, as will be shown later in this disclosure. Furthermore, it should be noted that the plurality of insulating threads 406 may have one or more dielectric constant values ​​such that they do not significantly reduce the traveling wave of the electric field 322 generated by the DMS 300. Although a woven fabric 400 of the fabric material 302 is shown in this embodiment, it should be noted that the fabric material 302 may also be a braided fabric.

[0039] Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C show front and back views of an example of a woven or braided fabric material 302 as an ortho fabric material 500 (e.g., outer layer material for a spacesuit) having a plurality of CNT fibers 502 used as a plurality of conductive fibers 308, according to the present disclosure. Figures 5A and 5B show the front 304 (also referred to herein as the "top surface") of the ortho fabric material 500, and Figure 5C shows the back 306 of the ortho fabric material 500. Figure 5A is an enlarged front view of the front 304 of the ortho fabric material 500 showing a single CNT fiber 504 (of the plurality of CNT fibers 502) woven or braided to form a yarn (i.e., fiber) of the ortho fabric material 500, and Figure 5B is a smaller enlarged front view of the front 304 of the ortho fabric material 500 showing a plurality of CNT fibers (of the plurality of CNT fibers 502) woven or braided to form a yarn of the ortho fabric material 500. In this embodiment, the multiple CNT fibers 502 do not penetrate the entire thickness of the fabric material 302 of the ortho fabric material 500. The weaving or braiding is carried out such that only the front surface 304 has the multiple CNT fibers 502. Thus, Figure 5C shows an ortho fabric material 500 in which the CNT fibers 502 do not penetrate the back surface 306 of the ortho fabric material 500 at all.

[0040] Figure 6 shows an oblique side view of an example of a partial mounting configuration of two CNT fibers 600 and 602 according to the present disclosure. Two CNT fibers 600 and 602 of the multiple CNT fibers 502 (Figures 5A-5C) may include side fibrils 604 and 606 (i.e., commonly known as the "hairs" of the CNT fibers) formed by slightly frayed twists in the CNT fibers 600 and 602, which may be oriented systematically or randomly. Generally, the use of side fibrils 604 and 606 increases the dust repulsion effect of the DMS 300 by introducing irregularities in the electric field 322 (Figure 3A).

[0041] Figures 7A, 7B, and 7C show front views of an example of an implementation of insulation for a plurality of CNT fibers 502 (shown in Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C) on the front surface 304 of the ortho fabric material 500 according to the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the plurality of thermoplastic fibers 700 are attached during the manufacturing of the ortho fabric material 500. In this embodiment, the assembled ortho fabric material 500 and the plurality of thermoplastic fibers 700 are annealed at a high temperature, causing the thermoplastic fibers 700 to melt and create a micron-sized insulating layer 702 that enhances the safety of the combination of the ortho fabric material 500 and the plurality of CNT fibers 502 while minimizing the reduction of the electric field 322 that repels dust particles 332 (e.g., a reduction of less than about 10%). Figure 7C shows the front surface 304 of the ortho fabric material 500 and an upper layer coating 704 that completely covers the plurality of CNT fibers 502. The upper layer coating 704 may be electrically insulated or polarized to locally enhance the electric field 322. After the assembly of the multiple CNT fibers 502 and the front surface 304 of the ortho fabric material 500 is completed, a top layer coating 704 may be applied. In one embodiment, the top layer coating 704 may be a hydrophobic material (e.g., the Lotus coating developed by NASA GSFC) having a surface feature pattern that maximizes hydrophobicity in order to make the band gap of the multiple CNT fibers 502 of the shield 313 equal to the typical band gap of dust particles, and / or a material that bends the electronic band structure of the assembly (i.e., the coating and the CNT fibers).

[0042] Refer to Figure 8, which shows an enlarged front view of an example of another implementation of the ortho fabric material 800 having a first plurality of CNT fibers 802 and a second plurality of CNT fibers 804 according to the present disclosure. In this embodiment, a first plurality of CNT fibers 802 and a second plurality of CNT fibers 804 having a multi-directional pattern are shown. As an example, two areas 806 and 808 of the ortho fabric material 800 are shown, the first area 806 having a first plurality of CNT fibers 802 oriented in a "vertical" direction (i.e., vertical weave), and the second area 808 having a second plurality of CNT fibers 804 oriented in a "horizontal" direction (i.e., horizontal weave).

[0043] Similarly, Figure 9 shows a front view of an example of yet another implementation of the ortho fabric material 900 having a first plurality of CNT fibers 902 and a second plurality of CNT fibers 904 according to the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the first plurality of CNT fibers 902 and the second plurality of CNT fibers 904 are superimposed on “vertical” weaves and “horizontal” weaves that are insulated by an insulating material or a thin film of fabric material. The superimposed weaves may be variable and / or different in order to enhance the electric field 322. The individual CNT fibers of the first plurality of CNT fibers 902 and the second plurality of CNT fibers 904 may have either side of the individual CNT fiber insulated.

[0044] Figure 10 shows a front view of an example of yet another implementation of the ortho fabric material 1000 having a first plurality of CNT fibers 1002 and a second plurality of CNT fibers 1004 according to the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the first plurality of CNT fibers 1002 and the second plurality of CNT fibers 1004 may have variable spacing and dimensions. The width (e.g., diameter) of individual CNT fibers in the first plurality of CNT fibers 1002 and the second plurality of CNT fibers 1004 is not limited to 90 degrees. The distance between individual adjacent CNT fibers in the first plurality of CNT fibers 1002 and the second plurality of CNT fibers 1004 may vary. In addition, the clustering of the first plurality of CNT fibers 1002 and the second plurality of CNT fibers 1004 may vary by the distance between fibers having wide spacing 1006 and narrow spacing 1008.

[0045] Figure 11 shows a front view of an example of an implementation configuration of an ortho fabric material 1100 having a plurality of CNT fibers 1102 driven by a plurality of electrical waveforms according to the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the plurality of CNT fibers 1102 are driven by a polyphase sinusoidal signal 1104 having low frequency (e.g., 10 Hz) AC and three phases among six CNT fibers (first phase 1106, second phase 1108, and third phase 1110). Similarly, Figure 12 shows a front view of an example of an implementation configuration of an ortho fabric material 1100 having a plurality of CNT fibers 1102 driven by another type of plurality of electrical waveforms according to the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the plurality of CNT fibers 1102 are driven by a polyphase sinusoidal signal 1200 having low frequency (e.g., 10 Hz) AC and two phases among four CNT fibers (first phase 1202 and second phase 1204). In these examples, a broad spectral waveform is possible, having random spectral components (in the range of 0.1 Hz to 100 Hz) dispersed within the clusters of CNT fibers 1102.

[0046] Figure 13 shows a front view of an example of an implementation of a non-ortho fabric material 1300 having a plurality of CNT fibers 1302 according to the present disclosure.

[0047] Figure 14 shows a front view of an example of an implementation of a non-ortho fabric material 1400 having a plurality of CNT fibers 1402 and 1404 according to the present disclosure. The non-ortho fabric materials 1300 and 1400 may be substrates having ribbons of flexible fibers which are oriented fibers of non-conductive fibers (such as a non-conductive polymer) having CNT fibers 1302, 1402, and 1404 incorporated at predetermined intervals in the matrix. The ribbons may be fixed with a backing made of a matrix curing material. Alternatively, the non-ortho fabric materials 1300 and 1400 may be charged fabric fibers using a charged polymer which enables localized strengthening of the electric field 322 of the complex geometric contour of the assembly. The non-ortho fabric materials 1300 and 1400 may also be conductive polymers incorporating CNT fibers in which the fabric material is composed of two different types of fibers, such as one two-layer conductive twist and one insulating twist. Generally, the material used for the first (i.e., non-conductive) side of single-layer and double-layer yarns should have a dielectric constant such that the traveling wave of the electric field 322 on the first (i.e., non-conductive) side of the fabric material is not significantly reduced. In addition, the spacing, order, and pattern of the non-conductive and conductive yarns, as well as the phase and frequency of the input signal source 318, can be designed to adjust the repulsive and dispersion effects of the first (non-conductive) surface of the fabric material. For example, to repel dust particles of about 5-300 μm in size under lunar conditions, the width range of the conductive fibers is expected to be about 0.5-400 μm, the spacing of the conductive fibers about 0.3-4 mm, the voltage about 500-2000 V, the frequency about 5-200 Hz, and the input signal should be multi-phase rather than single-input. These parameter values ​​may increase by about 3-5 times in terrestrial applications to account for the effects of gravity, humidity, and atmospheric conditions.

[0048] Refer to Figure 15. Figure 15 shows an enlarged front view of an example of an implementation of an ortho fabric material 1500 having a plurality of CNT fibers 1502 and a plurality of sensors 1504 according to the present disclosure. The sensors 1504 may be microsensors attached to the ortho fabric material 1500 or incorporated within the plurality of CNT fibers 1502. The sensors 1504 are configured to determine the amount of dust coverage, and then, based on a predetermined minimum dust coverage value, the DMS 300 can be activated with an AC voltage signal 316. The sensors 1504 can detect changes in light reflectance, mass, etc., on the front surface 1506 of the ortho fabric material 1500.

[0049] Figure 16 shows a top view of a system block diagram illustrating an example of an implementation configuration of a micro-vibration sensor and actuator 1600 incorporated within a fabric material 1602 or within CNT fibers 1604 (woven into the fabric material 1602) to facilitate the dust repulsion operation of the shield 313 of the DMS 300, by coupling the mechanical operation with an electric field 322.

[0050] Figure 17 is a front view (along the line A-A1606) showing a system block diagram of Figure 16 of a micro-vibration sensor and actuator 1600 incorporated within a fabric material 1602 or a plurality of CNT fibers 1604 according to the present disclosure. In this embodiment, a plurality of CNT fibers 1604 (i.e., a series of substantially parallel CNT fibers) are woven into a fabric material 1602 which may be the ortho fabric material of a spacesuit. The fabric material 1602 has an outermost layer 1700, the top of which is a work function coating 1702. The fabric material 1602 also includes a lower layer 1704 of the fabric material 1602 below the outermost layer 1700. The micro-vibration sensor and sensor 1600 are positioned between the outermost layer 1700 and the lower layer 1704. In this embodiment, the DMS 300 combines passive, electrostatic, and vibro-mechanical actions to repel dust from the shield 313.

[0051] Refer to Figure 18, a side view showing a system block diagram of an example implementation of a DMS 1800 having a DMS controller 1801 and a micro-vibration sensor and actuator 1600 (shown in Figures 16 and 17) according to this disclosure. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment shown in Figure 3A, but has additional elements: a first sensor 1802, a second sensor 1804, and an actuator 1806 within the micro-vibration sensor and actuator 1600, and the DMS controller 1801. In this embodiment, as described above, the DMS controller 1801 may be any general electronic controller, which may include a microcontroller, a CPU-based processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA, or other similar device or system. The first sensor 1802 and the second sensor 1804 are devices that can identify the amount of dust particles 332 covering the shield 313 and then provide that information to the DMS controller 1801, which is signal-communicating with the first and second sensors 1802 and 1804 via signal paths 1808 and 1810, respectively. The first and second sensors 1802 and 1804 may be microsensors powered by a DMS power supply (not shown) or by collecting mechanical energy from the movement of the wearer of the DMS 1800. The first and second sensors 1802 and 1804 determine the amount of dust particles 332 covering the shield 313 and provide this information to the DMS controller 1801 via sensor data signals 1812 and 1814 transmitted to the DMS controller 1801 via signal paths 1808 and 1810, respectively. Upon receiving this information, the DMS controller 1801 then determines whether it is necessary to adjust the AC voltage signal 316 by changing the characteristics of the electric field 322 on the shield 313 in order to remove the dust particles 332 on the shield 313. If it is necessary to adjust the AC voltage signal 316, the DMS controller 1801 transmits an adjustment signal 1816 to the input signal source 318 via signal path 1818. Upon reception, the input signal source 318 modifies the waveform and / or frequency of the AC voltage signal 316 supplied to the multiple conductive fibers 308 (according to the adjustment signal 1816) in order to optimize the dust reduction characteristics of the DMS 1800.In addition, the DMS controller 1801 may provide an activation / adjustment signal 1820 to the actuator 1806 via a signal path 1822. Upon receipt, the actuator 1806 begins to apply a mechanical action (e.g., vibrational energy) to the outermost layer 1700 of the fabric material 1602 to facilitate the removal and / or dislodgement of dust particles 332 from the shield 313. In this embodiment, the actuator 1806 may be a piezoelectric device (e.g., a micro-vibration device) or several twisted yarns (not shown) within several conductive fibers 308. The actuator 1806 may operate under the control of the DMS controller 1801 or other external control devices of the DMS 1800 from inputs from the first and second sensors 1802 and 1804. Similar to the first and second sensors 1802 and 1804, the actuator 1806 may be powered by a DMS power supply (not shown) or by collecting mechanical energy from the movement of the wearer of the DMS 1800.

[0052] It should be noted that, for convenience, only two sensors 1802 and 1804 and one actuator 1806 are shown in Figure 18 in this embodiment. Naturally, this is not limiting, and the DMS 1800 may non-limitably include multiple sensors and multiple actuators beneath the outermost layer 1700 of the fabric material 1602.

[0053] Another application of the DMS1800 using one or more actuators is the function of removing sacrificial coatings (e.g., temporary or peelable sunscreen fabrics, camouflage fabrics, coatings required for optical properties, water repellency, radar protection, etc.) by generating high-frequency vibrations or low-frequency curving with multiple actuators to facilitate the removal of all sacrificial coatings from the front surface of the fabric material 1602.

[0054] In addition to sensors and actuators, the DMS1800 may also include one or more microheaters (not shown) used to assist in the dust reduction process or body heating. Microheaters may be used to increase the resistivity of multiple conductive fibers 308 or to provide heat to the wearer of the DMS1800 through heating of the multiple conductive fibers 308. In embodiments of CNT fibers for multiple conductive fibers 308, the microheaters may be implemented as part of the multiple conductive fibers 308, which may be implemented either on the outermost layer 1700 of the fabric material 1602 or as secondary multiple conductive fibers (not shown) in the lower layer 1704 of the fabric material 1602. The microheaters are configured to generate a temperature on or within the fabric material 1602 that can be controlled by the DMS controller 1801 or by direct input from sensors within the fabric material 1602. The microheaters may be powered by the DMS power supply.

[0055] It should be further noted that the multiple conductive fibers 308 can also be used for radiation protection of the DMS1800. In this embodiment, the weave pattern of the multiple conductive fibers 308 is optimized, and an input signal source 318 generates an AC voltage signal 316 that generates an electric field that repels electrons, protons, or both. In this application, higher frequencies than those used in the dust repulsion application of the DMS1800 are used, and the multiple conductive fibers 308 can be superimposed to generate multiple types of waveforms with a wide spectral range in a dual-use implementation configuration. As an example, the pattern of the conductive fibers can be modified to create different zones in the spatial pattern of the conductive fibers where the spatial isolation of the conductive fibers changes from zone to zone, and the spatial isolation of the applied waveform of the AC voltage signal changes from zone to zone.

[0056] Furthermore, the multiple conductive fibers 308 can also be used for energy collection, which may be incorporated into the fabric materials of spacesuits, mountaineering clothing and equipment, and government and military uniforms and devices. Generally, the multiple conductive fibers 308 can be tuned to operate at a frequency for dust reduction and one or more second frequencies for receiving ambient electromagnetic energy that can be rectified and collected as received power. In addition, in the case of CNT fibers for conductive fibers, piezoelectric elements can be incorporated into the CNT fibers or fabric material to collect mechanical energy from the wearer's movement and convert it into electricity. Furthermore, the CNT fibers may be configured to receive ambient thermal energy (e.g., external thermal energy, solar radiation, heat from the wearer's body) which is converted into electricity via the CNT fibers acting as thermoelectric converters.

[0057] Furthermore, the multiple conductive fibers 308 can also be used for anti-jamming applications in wearable communication systems or systems using fabric materials, such as antennas made of fabric material. In this case, the fabric material and the multiple conductive fibers can be used in combination with a fabric-based antenna system, which may be part of a wearable communication system, by using CNT fibers as the conductive fibers. In this embodiment, the CNT fibers can act as sensors capable of detecting jamming signals, and the DMS 1800 may also include an embedded electric field sensor capable of detecting jamming signals. When a jamming signal is detected, the DMS 1800 may include additional devices, components, or systems that can generate an anti-jamming AC voltage signal at a frequency higher than the frequency generated by the DMS 1800 to reduce dust from the shield. To generate this anti-jamming AC voltage signal, the DMS controller 1801 may communicate with an external communication system.

[0058] Figures 19A, 19B, and 19C show front views of examples of different mounting configurations of printed flexible conductors and / or conductive fiber patterns for use with the DMS 300 according to this disclosure. To better control the dust repulsion behavior, the pattern may be placed on a fabric material and put into a state of signal communication with an active controller (i.e., a DMS controller). Various shapes provide various optimized dust repulsion behaviors. The printed pattern may then be mounted on a flexible material, fabric material, and / or surface with appropriate dielectric properties.

[0059] While most embodiments of this disclosure focus on spacesuits, those skilled in the art will understand that this disclosure also applies to other types of devices using flexible or fabric materials, such as electric fences, dust protection systems for wearable communication means, radiation protection, thermal protection, umbrella antennas, tents, canopy surfaces, adaptive solar thermal collectors, adaptive solar cells, self-cleaning antennas, deployable structures, inflatables, and CNT fiber-integrated devices with piezoelectric mechanical action for climbing.

[0060] As an example of the process, several test coupons of approximately 3 inches x 3 inches of ortho fabric material were applied with multiple configurations of the DMS300 to test the use of CNT fibers as electrodes and the resulting dust removal capability when the electrodes were applied together with a multiphase AC voltage signal.

[0061] Figure 20 shows a top view of an example of an implementation of the DMS2000 according to the present disclosure, using an ortho fabric material 2002 for spacesuits and a plurality of CNT fibers 2004 for multiple conductive fibers. In this embodiment, the plurality of CNT fibers 2004 are woven into the ortho fabric material 2002 within a shield 2006 defined by a shield area 2008. The plurality of CNT fibers 2004 are oriented along a first direction 2010.

[0062] In this example, a plurality of CNT fibers 2004 of CNT fibers are manufactured from a concentrated solution of chlorosulfonic acid through wet spinning. The CNT fibers are assembled using a Planetary 3.0 rope-making device from the Domanoff factory in Minsk, Belarus, to form a twisted multifilament woven yarn. The woven yarn used in this example is composed of 28 CNT filaments that are plied together. In this example, since each CNT fiber is composed of 28 CNT filaments, it is possible to replace the term "woven yarn" with "fiber". The individual CNT filaments had a diameter of approximately 26 + / - 2 μm and an average linear density of approximately 0.82 + / - 0.2 tex. The conductivity of the individual CNT filaments was approximately 2.1 MS / m (the specific conductivity was approximately 1390 Sm 2 / kg). The twisted woven yarn has approximately the same specific conductivity as the individual CNT filaments, while the conductivity of the woven yarn decreased to approximately 1.1 MS / m because the density of the woven yarn was approximately 0.8 g / cm 3 compared to the density of the individual CNT filaments of approximately 1.5 g / cm 3 . In this example, DMS2000 was configured to be tested with a three-phase AC power supply from an input signal source (not shown). Similar to FIG. 20, FIG. 21 is a top view showing an example of another implementation of DMS2100 using an ortho fabric material 2002 for a spacesuit and a plurality of CNT fibers 2102 for a plurality of conductive fibers according to the present disclosure. FIG. 21 shows a plurality of CNT fibers 2102 oriented in an inclined direction 2104 that makes an angle with respect to a first direction 2010.

[0063] In one example of the process, the DMS2000 was tested using an input signal source that generated a multiphase AC voltage signal in the range of approximately 600V to 1200V with an ultra-low current value in the magnitude of microamperes and a square wave frequency of approximately 10Hz. The tests were conducted at room temperature and room pressure using lunar simulated material JSC-1A with sizes in the range of approximately 50μm to 75μm and between 10μm to 50μm. The specifications of the simulated material were developed by Orbital Technologies, Inc. of Madison, Wisconsin. During the testing, two methods were used to deposit the simulated material onto the DMS2000. In the first method, the activation of conductive fibers (i.e., CNT fibers) was employed as the first step before the dust was deposited (i.e., the simulated material was deposited), and then the simulated material was continuously dropped onto the DMS2000 to represent dynamic dust interacting with the spacesuit during the EVA process (i.e., referred to as the "drop test"). In the second method, approximately 10 mg of simulated material was deposited on the shielding area of ​​the DMS2000, which was covered with multiple CNT fibers 2004, before the CNT fibers were activated. This second test method represents the situation in which dust statically adheres to the spacesuit during EVA. It should be noted that in this example, the AC voltage signal used was approximately 600V to 1200V, and the amount of current passing through the multiple CNT fibers 2004 was very low (i.e., in the range of microamperes). The test results showed that the DMS2000 could repel lunar dust simulated material with a particle size of approximately 10 μm to 75 μm in both dynamic and static dust settings under atmospheric conditions (i.e., a temperature of approximately 20°C, a relative humidity of 68%, and Earth's gravity). As a result, the test showed that using the DMS2000 to repel lunar dust simulated material when a multiphase AC voltage signal is applied yields positive results. It should be noted that two-phase AC voltage signals can also be used with the DMS2000 and DMS2100. For example, the DMS2000 and DMS2100 can use an input signal source that generates a two-phase AC voltage signal in the range of approximately 600 to 1200 V (with a 180-degree phase shift) with an ultra-low current value in the magnitude of microamperes and a square wave frequency of approximately 10 Hz.

[0064] Figure 22 shows a flowchart of an example of an implementation of the dust reduction method 2200 performed by the DMS 1800 in a process according to the present disclosure. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the DMS 1800 is the DMS 1800 shown in Figure 18, which includes a micro-vibration sensor and an actuator 1600.

[0065] This method is initiated by the detection of any dust particles in the fabric material 1602 by sensors 1802 and 1804 (2204) (2202). When sensors 1802 and 1804 detect dust particles on the shield 313 of the fabric material 1602, sensors 1802 and 1804 transmit sensor data signals 1812 and 1814 to the DMS controller 1801. The DMS controller 1801 receives the sensor data signals 1812 and 1814 (2206) and, accordingly, activates multiple conductive fibers (i.e., multiple CNT fibers 1604) by transmitting the adjustment signal 1816 to an input signal source 318 that generates an AC voltage signal in response to the adjustment signal 1816 (2208). When AC voltage signals are received at the multiple input nodes 310 (as described in Figure 3A) of the fabric material 1602 (2210), the AC voltage signals are transmitted to the corresponding conductive fibers, generating an electric field on the front of the fabric material 1602 (2212). The corresponding electric field generates a traveling wave that propagates along the front of the fabric material 1602 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the conductive fibers run along the fabric material 1602 (2214). This traveling wave dislodges dust particles from the shield of the DMS 1800 (2216). In addition, based on sensor data signals 1812 and 1814, the DMS controller 1801 may also send an activation / adjustment signal 1820 to the actuator 1806 to vibrate beneath the outermost layer 1700 of the fabric material 1602 (2218) in order to facilitate the dislodgement and removal of all dust from the shield. The process then terminates (2220).

[0066] Furthermore, this disclosure includes embodiments relating to the following clauses.

[0067] Clause 1. A dust reduction system ("DMS") comprising: a fabric material having a front and a back surface; a plurality of conductive fibers within the fabric material, wherein the plurality of conductive fibers are substantially parallel to a first direction along the fabric material and substantially adjacent to the front surface of the fabric material; and a plurality of input nodes (310) substantially adjacent to the fabric material, which are configured to communicate with the plurality of conductive fibers and receive alternating current ("AC") voltage signals from an input signal source, wherein the plurality of conductive fibers are configured to generate an electric field on the front surface of the fabric material in response to the plurality of input nodes receiving an AC voltage signal from an input signal source, and to generate a traveling wave from the electric field in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction along the front surface of the fabric material.

[0068] Clause 2. The multiple conductive fibers are multiple carbon nanotube ("CNT") fibers, and the multiple CNT fibers are woven into the fabric material, as described in Clause 1 of the DMS.

[0069] Clause 3. A fabric material woven fabric, wherein the fabric material comprises a plurality of wefts of the fabric material, a plurality of warp threads of the fabric material, and a plurality of insulating threads; a partial fabric of the fabric material woven fabric, further comprising a partial fabric of the fabric material woven fabric, wherein the partial fabric comprises a plurality of conductive fibers, a plurality of insulating threads, and a plurality of wefts of the fabric material, the plurality of insulating threads being spaced apart between the plurality of conductive fibers, as described in Clause 1 or 2.

[0070] Clause 4. Multiple conductive fibers are multiple carbon nanotubes ("CNTs"), as described in Clause 3 of the DMS.

[0071] Clause 5. The DMS as described in Clause 4, wherein the multiple CNT fibers are arranged as a series of generally parallel CNT fibers in a first direction along the fabric material.

[0072] Clause 6. A DMS as described in any one of Clauses 1 to 5, further comprising an input signal source that is in signal communication with multiple conductive fibers.

[0073] Clause 7. A DMS as described in Clause 6, wherein the input signal source is a three-phase input signal source.

[0074] Clause 8. The DMS described in Clause 6, further including a DMS controller that is in signal communication with an input signal source.

[0075] Clause 9. The input signal source is configured to generate an AC voltage signal having multiple AC phase signals transmitted to multiple input nodes, and the DMS controller fixes or individually modifies the voltage, frequency, and phase of each of the multiple AC phase signals, as described in Clause 8.

[0076] Clause 10. The DMS described in Clause 9, further comprising multiple sensors within the fabric material, wherein the multiple sensors generate multiple sensor data signals, the multiple sensors communicate with a DMS controller, and the DMS controller is configured to receive the multiple sensor data signals and adjust the voltage, frequency, and phase of each of the multiple AC phase signals accordingly.

[0077] Clause 11. The DMS described in Clause 10 further includes multiple actuators within the fabric material.

[0078] Clause 12. The DMS described in Clause 11, wherein the actuators communicate with a DMS controller, and the DMS controller is configured to generate activation signals that are transmitted to multiple actuators in response to the DMS receiving multiple sensor data signals.

[0079] Clause 13. Multiple conductive fibers are multiple carbon nanotube ("CNT") fibers, and the fabric material is the ortho fabric material, as described in Clause 6 of the DMS.

[0080] Clause 14. The DMS according to Clause 13, further comprising a plurality of thermoplastic fibers attached to a fabric material to form a micron-sized insulating layer.

[0081] Clause 15. A DMS according to any one of Clauses 6 to 14, wherein the plurality of conductive fibers are plurality of carbon nanotube ("CNT") fibers, and the plurality of CNT fibers comprises a first plurality of CNT fibers and a second plurality of CNT fibers, wherein the first plurality of CNT fibers are oriented in a first direction and the second plurality of CNT fibers are oriented in a second direction different from the first direction.

[0082] Clause 16. The DMS described in Clause 15, wherein the first plurality of CNT fibers are superimposed on the second plurality of CNT fibers.

[0083] Clause 17. A DMS as described in any one of Clauses 6 to 16, wherein the plurality of conductive fibers are plurality of carbon nanotube ("CNT") fibers, and the plurality of CNT fibers comprises a first plurality of CNT fibers and a second plurality of CNT fibers, the first plurality of CNT fibers having a first spacing between the CNT fibers in the first plurality of CNT fibers, and the second plurality of CNT fibers having a second spacing between the CNT fibers in the second plurality of CNT fibers, the second spacing being different from the first spacing.

[0084] Clause 18. A method for reducing dust using a dust reduction system ("DMS"), the DMS comprising a fabric material having a front and a back surface, a plurality of conductive fibers in the fabric material in a first direction along the fabric material, and a plurality of input nodes communicating with the plurality of conductive fibers, the method comprising receiving alternating current ("AC") voltage signals from input signal sources at the plurality of input nodes, generating an electric field on the front surface of the fabric material with the plurality of conductive fibers, and generating a traveling wave from the electric field in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction along the front surface of the fabric material.

[0085] Clause 19. The method according to Clause 18, wherein receiving an AC voltage signal includes receiving at least one sensor data signal from at least one sensor in the fabric material indicating whether any dust particles are present on the shield of the DMS, and generating an AC voltage signal in response to the reception of at least one sensor data signal.

[0086] Clause 20. The method according to Clause 19, further comprising causing vibration in a fabric material based on at least one sensor data signal.

[0087] Naturally, various aspects or details of the implementation can be modified, provided that they do not deviate from the scope of this disclosure. The implementations are not exhaustive and do not limit the claimed disclosure to the exact form(s) disclosed. Furthermore, the foregoing description is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit it. Modifications and changes can be made in accordance with the foregoing description or obtained by performing this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, this application includes the following embodiments. (Aspect 1) A dust reduction system ("DMS") comprising a fabric material having a front surface (304) and a back surface (306), a plurality of conductive fibers (308) within the fabric material (302), a plurality of conductive fibers (208) that are substantially parallel to a first direction along the fabric material and substantially adjacent to the front surface (304) of the fabric material, and a plurality of input nodes (310) substantially adjacent to the fabric material that communicate with the plurality of conductive fibers (308) and receive an alternating current ("AC") voltage signal (316) from an input signal source (318). A dust reduction system ("DMS") comprising: a plurality of input nodes (310) configured to receive the AC voltage signal (316) from the input signal source, wherein the plurality of conductive fibers (308) are configured to generate an electric field (322) on the front surface (304) of the fabric material in response to the plurality of input nodes (310) receiving the AC voltage signal (316) from the input signal source, and to generate a traveling wave from the electric field (322) along the front surface (304) of the fabric material in a second direction that is approximately perpendicular to the first direction. (Aspect 2) The DMS according to embodiment 1, wherein the plurality of conductive fibers (308) are a plurality of carbon nanotube ("CNT") fibers, and the plurality of CNT fibers are woven into the fabric material. (Aspect 3) A DMS according to embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the fabric material is a woven fabric of the fabric material, the fabric material comprising a plurality of weft threads (404) of the fabric material, a plurality of warp threads (402) of the fabric material, and a plurality of insulating threads (406), the woven fabric of the fabric material, and a partial woven fabric (408) of the woven fabric of the fabric material, the partial woven fabric (408) further comprising the partial woven fabric of the woven fabric of the fabric material comprising the plurality of conductive fibers, the plurality of insulating threads (406), and the plurality of weft threads (404) of the fabric material, the plurality of insulating threads (406) are spaced apart from the plurality of conductive fibers. (Aspect 4) The DMS according to embodiment 3, wherein the plurality of conductive fibers are a plurality of carbon nanotube ("CNT") fibers. (Aspect 5) The DMS according to embodiment 4, wherein the plurality of CNT fibers are configured as a series of generally parallel CNT fibers along the fabric material in the first direction. (Aspect 6) The DMS according to any one of embodiments 1 to 5, further comprising an input signal source that is in signal communication with the plurality of conductive fibers. (Aspect 7) The DMS according to embodiment 6, wherein the input signal source is a three-phase input signal source. (Pattern 8) The DMS according to embodiment 6, further comprising a DMS controller that communicates with the aforementioned input signal source. (Aspect 9) The DMS according to embodiment 8, wherein the input signal source (318) is configured to generate the AC voltage signal (316) having a plurality of AC phase signals to be transmitted to the plurality of input nodes (310), and the voltage, frequency, and phase of each of the plurality of AC phase signals are fixed or individually changed by the DMS controller. (Aspect 10) The DMS according to embodiment 9, further comprising a plurality of sensors within the fabric material (1062), wherein the plurality of sensors (1600) generate a plurality of sensor data signals, the plurality of sensors communicate with the DMS controller, and the DMS controller is configured to receive the plurality of sensor data signals and adjust the voltage, frequency, and phase of each of the plurality of AC phase signals accordingly. (Aspect 11) The DMS according to embodiment 10, further comprising a plurality of actuators (1600) within the fabric material. (Aspect 12) The DMS according to embodiment 11, wherein the actuator (1600) communicates with the DMS controller, and the DMS controller is configured to generate activation signals that are transmitted to the plurality of actuators in response to the DMS receiving the plurality of sensor data signals. (Aspect 13) The DMS according to embodiment 6, wherein the plurality of conductive fibers (1604) are plurality of carbon nanotube ("CNT") fibers, and the fabric material is an ortho fabric material. (Aspect 14) The DMS according to embodiment 13, further comprising a plurality of thermoplastic fibers attached to the fabric material to form a micron-sized insulating layer. (Aspect 15) The DMS according to any one of embodiments 6 to 14, wherein the plurality of conductive fibers are a plurality of carbon nanotube ("CNT") fibers, and the plurality of CNT fibers include a first plurality of CNT fibers and a second plurality of CNT fibers, the first plurality of CNT fibers are oriented in a first direction, and the second plurality of CNT fibers are oriented in a second direction different from the first direction. (Aspect 16) The DMS according to embodiment 15, wherein the first plurality of CNT fibers are superimposed on the second plurality of CNT fibers. (Aspect 17) The DMS according to any one of embodiments 6 to 16, wherein the plurality of conductive fibers are a plurality of carbon nanotube ("CNT") fibers, and the plurality of CNT fibers include a first plurality of CNT fibers and a second plurality of CNT fibers, the first plurality of CNT fibers having a first spacing between the CNT fibers of the first plurality of CNT fibers, and the second plurality of CNT fibers having a second spacing between the CNT fibers of the second plurality of CNT fibers, the second spacing being different from the first spacing. (Aspect 18) A method for reducing dust using a dust reduction system ("DMS"), the DMS comprising a fabric material having a front and a back surface, a plurality of conductive fibers in the fabric material in a first direction along the fabric material, and a plurality of input nodes communicating with the plurality of conductive fibers, the method comprising: receiving alternating current ("AC") voltage signals from input signal sources at the plurality of input nodes; generating an electric field on the front surface of the fabric material with the plurality of conductive fibers; and generating a traveling wave from the electric field in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction along the front surface of the fabric material. A method that includes this. (Aspect 19) The method according to embodiment 18, wherein receiving the AC voltage signal includes receiving at least one sensor data signal from at least one sensor in the fabric material indicating whether any dust particles are present on the shield of the DMS, and generating the AC voltage signal based on the response to the reception of the at least one sensor data signal. (Aspect 20) The method according to embodiment 19, further comprising causing vibration in the fabric material based on the at least one sensor data signal.

Claims

1. A dust reduction system (DMS), Fabric material including front (304) and back (306), A plurality of conductive fibers (308) within the range of the fabric material, wherein the plurality of conductive fibers are substantially parallel to the fabric material in the first direction and substantially adjacent to the front surface of the fabric material, An input signal source (318) configured to generate an AC voltage signal (316), and A plurality of input nodes (310) substantially adjacent to the fabric material, comprising a plurality of input nodes configured to communicate with the plurality of conductive fibers (308) by signal and to receive the AC voltage signal (316) from the input signal source (318), The plurality of conductive fibers (308) are configured to generate an electric field on the front surface (304) of the fabric material in response to the plurality of input nodes receiving the AC voltage signal (316) from the input signal source (318). The AC voltage of the aforementioned AC voltage signal (316) is 500V to 2000V. The plurality of conductive fibers (308) are a plurality of carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers, and the plurality of carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers are woven into or incorporated into the fabric material, in a dust reduction system (DMS).

2. The AC voltage signal (316) is a plurality of AC voltage signals, each having a phase, and the input signal source (318) is configured to generate the plurality of AC voltage signals that are transmitted to the plurality of input nodes. The dust reduction system (DMS) according to claim 1, wherein the voltage, frequency, and phase of each of the plurality of AC voltage signals are fixed or individually changed by a DMS controller.

3. The fabric material further includes multiple sensors, The aforementioned multiple sensors generate data signals from the multiple sensors, The plurality of sensors communicate with the DMS controller by signal, and The dust reduction system (DMS) according to claim 2, wherein the DMS controller is configured to receive the plurality of sensor data signals and, in response thereto, adjust the voltage, frequency, and phase of each of the plurality of AC voltage signals.

4. The dust reduction system (DMS) according to claim 3, further comprising a plurality of actuators within the fabric material.

5. The plurality of actuators communicate with the DMS controller by signal, The dust reduction system (DMS) according to claim 4, wherein the DMS controller is configured to generate activation signals to be transmitted to the plurality of actuators in response to the dust reduction system (DMS) receiving the plurality of sensor data signals.

6. A dust reduction system (DMS), Finger section, A hand section physically attached to the aforementioned finger section, Fabric material within the range of both the finger section and the hand section, including a front surface (304) and a back surface (306), A plurality of conductive fibers (308) within the range of the fabric material, wherein the plurality of conductive fibers are carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers, and are substantially parallel to the fabric material in the first direction and substantially adjacent to the front surface of the fabric material, An input signal source (318) configured to generate an AC voltage signal (316), and A plurality of input nodes (310) substantially adjacent to the fabric material, comprising a plurality of input nodes configured to communicate with the plurality of conductive fibers (308) by signal and to receive the AC voltage signal (316) from the input signal source (318), A dust reduction system (DMS) is configured such that the plurality of conductive fibers (308) generate an electric field on the front surface (304) of the fabric material in response to the plurality of input nodes receiving the AC voltage signal (316) from the input signal source (318).

Images